


Show You I Care

by 09cityskylights



Category: Shameless (US), gallavich - Fandom
Genre: Jealousy, M/M, Moving On, Prison, True Love, Weddings, Winning Him Back, after the breakup, coming out story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2017-04-18
Packaged: 2018-10-20 17:37:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10667544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/09cityskylights/pseuds/09cityskylights
Summary: Ian is surprised to see Mickey at a mutual friends wedding after Mickey has gone to prison and they break up.Mickey is jealous as hell to see Ian with another guy.A one-off story.*this is not after season 7, this is set earlier in their story and doesn't follow the show's timeline exactly. Alternate coming out story*





	Show You I Care

**Author's Note:**

> I would totally pay Noel and Cam to have them act out some of the FanFics we've read and written just so we could have more Gallavich scenes haha.

When the beat up old Sunfire pulls in front of the prison it’s screeching and worn out tires whip up a cloud of tan dust that swirls towards a waiting Mickey. He shields his blue eyes with one dirty hand, squinting at the cobalt blue car that’s now in front of him.

“Jesus Christ Mandy”, he grumbles, as she leans across the front seats and shoves open the side door towards him. He reaches down towards his feet to grab his small bag of possessions that he had dropped there while he was waiting for his sister to arrive. Not much was actually taken from him when he was arrested, all he had on him at the time was a ratty old tan sweater and his beat-up leather wallet.

“Hey you” she grins, and gives her older brother an affectionate punch on the arm as he falls into the seat beside her and slams the rusty door shut. She yanks the car back into gear roughly and they take off, flying down the dusty road.

“Whose car?” he asks. “Oh, some guys from school. Just loaning it” she answers absentmindedly, her heavily made-up eyes focusing on the road. “Don’t wanna know what you had to do for that”, he lifts his dark eyebrows at his little sister in mild disgust, but secretly appreciates that she arrived to pick him up at all. He hadn’t really expected to, but had hoped, that he might see Ian waiting there to pick him up with his sister, too.

He was pretty sure Mandy knew there was more than a friendship between her older brother and her best friend, although she had been initially surprised even by the fact that they appeared to be friends at all. Several months had passed since he last saw Ian, being arrested this last time for punching a cop in the face on purpose to violate his probation. Luckily, it seemed that Frank had never actually opened his mouth about the scene he had unknowingly walked in on in the Kash and Grab. Mickey flushes scarlet at the memory. Turned out Ian was right about Frank, though. Still, he reasoned, he wouldn’t have been able to take that risk. If Terry had found out Mickey was gay because Frank opened his big fucking drunk mouth somewhere without thinking, Terry would have murdered Mickey in his fucking sleep, no doubt.

He reaches nosily into the glove compartment in front of him and finds a slightly crushed pack of cigarettes with two left inside, “Score”. He pushes one into his own mouth and then offers the other to his sister, who takes it. He lights her cigarette first and then his own, making sure she keeps her hands on the wheel. She’s not the best driver.

He hasn’t seen Ian in months, but Ian had visited him in prison once, right after he was arrested. They had to keep the conversation away from their relationship though even though their last encounter had been a tense one, because they were surrounded by other convicts who would no doubt abuse any admitted fag in prison. No way Mickey was gonna become someone else’s bitch.

“Why would you punch a cop while you’re on probation?” Ian had demanded to know, unimpressed with the news that Mickey had landed himself in jail yet again. Mickey couldn’t tell him because it was his safest option at the time. He had been determined to kill Frank, and would have too, but…. when he was stalking Frank like a predatory animal that night, waiting for the right opportunity to blow his fucking brains out, Ian’s scared face had suddenly popped into his mind, “I don’t want you to do this”. Mickey had hesitated immediately, and his cruel words towards Ian had entered his mind next.

“You think we’re boyfriend and girlfriend here? You’re **nothing** but a warm mouth to me”. He still cringes internally, thinking of the cruel words he had spat at Ian and how Ian’s eyes shone with unshed tears once the words escaped him, obviously deeply hurt. He wished he could apologize to Ian now, make it clear that he hadn’t meant what he said, but the solid glass between them reminded him of his current situation, and he shrugged nonchalantly in response to Ian’s question.

“Whatever. Well, Frank hasn’t said anything, like I told you” Ian had dropped his voice at the second line, also watching what he said. Mickey’s blue eyes flashed upwards to meet Ian’s green ones and he opened his mouth and closed it again, unsure of what he could say. The bell suddenly rang out harshly and the guard on duty loudly announced “Time’s up. Phones down everyone”.

Ian had looked at Mickey briefly, “See you whenever you get out of this shithole” he scoffed, insinuating that he would not be visiting again. He dropped the worn receiver back in it’s place and exited the visitation room without looking back. Mickey didn’t peel his eyes away from Ian’s back until he was completely out of sight, and then he slammed his own receiver down in frustration. Fuck.

Now sitting in this beat up Sunfire, free once more, he can’t help but ask the question, although he asks casually, as if he doesn’t really care about the answer. “How’s Ian?” His sister glances at him uncertainly, pauses before she slowly answers, “He’s… good”. Mickey can tell there’s more she wants to say but she doesn’t, and he’s almost certain now that Ian has talked to her about their past relationship. He nods as though that’s all he wanted to hear, but it’s not. He knew he was going to have to figure out how to approach Ian and apologize for what he had said, tell him he wanted to try and make things work again. It wouldn’t be easy, considering the months that had passed between them with no communication.

Mandy speaks again and it drags him outwards from his deep thoughts, “Will you go to a wedding with me tomorrow? I’m taking a date but he gets handsy sometimes. If you’re there he’ll keep it in his pants until the wedding is over though” she laughs delicately. He looks over at her, “Who’s wedding?” “Peter, that guy who spends half his time in the Alibi?” He rolls his eyes sharply, “Mandy that’s half the guys in our fucking neighborhood. Do you mean Peter with the gold tooth or Limpy Pete?” “Gold tooth Peter” she confirms, nodding. He laughs, “Fuckers getting married?”

“Yeah well, you know how it is. They’ve invited most of the neighborhood, Alibi regulars. Anyways, will you go? There’s gonna be free booze”, she adds on that last bit knowing it will hook him. “Yeah, I’ll think about it” Mickey answers, digging under his fingernails with a pocket knife from feigned boredom, but the promise of free alcohol has already made his decision for him.

After Mandy gets them back home and drives off on her own to return the Sunfire, Mickey heads to the Alibi for a drink to celebrate his freedom. Peter Gill, one of the bar regulars and apparently engaged to be married, is sitting there absolutely sloshed on his stool. He raises his beer glass upwards with an unsteady hand. “S’ my wedding tomorrow. I expect all you fuckersss to be there!” he points drunkenly at everyone else in the bar, one by one. People sitting there whoop and cheer back at him. His gold tooth flashes into a grin when he reaches Mickey. “Yer out. Mandy said you would be. Comin to my wedding?” he slurs cheerfully. Mickey looks down at his drink and then back at Peter, “Yeah…sure”. “Great”, Peter downs the rest of his drink and passes out shortly after right where he’s sitting.

 

 

He is considerably more sober the next day when he and his fiancé greet their guests as they arrive to their simple backyard wedding. Mickey grips his striped tie and moves it against his throat uncomfortably. He was thinking of dressing more casually but when he saw his sister wearing a beautiful floral dress that morning, he felt he needed to step up his game too. Mandy actually looked beautiful. She was beautiful. When she wasn’t hiding it under all her hood rat clothes and heavy makeup.

Mickey’s glad now that he made an effort to dress nice because it looks the rest of the guests have done the same, wearing their inexpensive, albeit formal, wear. He scans the backyard and takes in the white plastic folding chairs arranged in neat rows, some white Christmas lights are strung around the trees. A decent effort for an overall cheap wedding.

He joins Mandy and her date Barry, (“that sounds like a fifty-year-old man’s name!”) Mickey had scoffed at her, in their seats. Sure enough, the twenty-something year old with unnecessarily long hair wastes no time at all slipping a hand down her milky white thigh. Mickey notices though and raises an eyebrow threateningly at his sister’s date, “You wanna lose a hand?”

 

Fiona plunks her adorable little brother down in his seat, “There you go Liam, big handsome man!” She smiles a wide toothy smile at him and he smiles back proudly. She tucks her dark brown hair behind her ears and stands, but notices a familiar dark head sitting a few rows behind them, threatening his sister’s date. Fiona frowns, and nudges her brother Lip. He looks up to see what she is viewing and shakes his curly head slightly in confusion, “What?” “Mickey’s out?”

“Yeah I guess” he answers, still looking confused as to why she gives a shit. “Where’s Ian?” she asks, craning her neck around. “He’s getting a drink with Matt” Lip says, catching on. Matt is Ian’s public boyfriend of a couple months now, and when he fully came out of the closet with this action, Fiona put the pieces together of why the Milkovich kid had been hanging around Ian so much before. Lip had confirmed her suspicions. “Don’t tell him Mickey’s here” she warns. “I don’t think he’ll be too upset” Lip smirks back. “I don’t want him hanging around Mickey anymore. He’s a fuck up and he’s going to drag Ian into it too. He just got out of jail, AFTER breaking probation” she folds her slim arms across her chest firmly. “Jesus, harsh much? He’s not that bad Fi” Lip replies, squinting slightly at his older sister.

Her distaste and distrust for Mickey is painfully obvious, which Lip has never really understood since they first had this conversation about Ian and Mickey a couple months back. Frankly, they were south side too, and trashy in a lot of other people’s minds as well. Yeah sometimes Mickey was trouble, and yeah sometimes they two of them got into a scrap, but who the fuck didn’t around here? It’s just the world they live in. Frankly, Fiona’s not one to talk, considering her prior relationships, but Lip doesn’t point this out.

So far only she and Lip knew fully about Mickey’s involvement with Ian, other than Mandy, and apparently, Frank, who had walked in on them. Lip thinks about the time Ian had first told him he was seeing Mickey and he has noticed a lot of changes in Milkovich since then.

The rest of the wedding guests file into their seats. The Gallaghers take up an entire row of seats just by themselves. This is something Mickey can’t help but notice during the ceremony, which is a pretty condensed south side version. His attention shifts from the bleach blonde bride and is grabbed by a tall red head sitting among his large family. Mickey jabs Mandy, who hisses at him in return and bats his arm away.

 

The ceremony ends, and when the cheering stops and people begin to get up from their plastic chairs she addresses him angrily, “what was that for asshole?” “You didn’t say Ian was gonna be here” he says back, accusatorily. “Didn’t you assume that? I told you it was a neighborhood wedding, God Mick”. Mickey doesn’t answer and is about to head directly for Ian when he sees the tall blonde guy standing beside him slip his tan hand over Ian’s affectionately. He freezes, “ _What the_ …”

“Mick, he has a boyfriend now. Ok?” Mandy tries to pull him away from the sight but Mickey hardens in place. “He came out?” he asks incredulously. “Yeah a while ago, and he’s been with Matt for a couple months now, so give them their space. Don’t cause a scene”. “I’m not gonna cause a _fucking_ scene”, he says, a little too loudly. Several heads turn in his direction but Ian’s is not one of them.

Distracted, he allows himself to be led a few feet away by Mandy who then thrusts a plastic solo cup into his hand. He downs whatever alcoholic mix is in it, his surprise at Ian’s boldness with coming out of the closet turning to jealousy rapidly. He hasn’t taken his eyes off of the offensive sight. The prick he’s with is even taller than Ian, with sandy blonde hair buzzed close to his scalp. Big hands, he notices. “Fuck.” Mickey curses bitterly into his cup. ]

He hangs back while people begin to pair off and dance on the grassy lawn, sitting agitatedly in one of the many empty plastic chairs. He sips his drink slowly, watching Ian and his partner dance like a hawk. Jealously is making his blood boil, and he looks around himself as if to see if anyone else is seeing this bullshit. He actually meets Ian’s sister Fiona’s eyes and blushes, jerking his gaze away quickly.

She comes over anyways, “Hey Mick. How’d the can treat you?” the question is friendly but her tone sure as hell isn’t. He looks up at her in confusion. She bends down towards him, her dark brown hair fanning around her face, locking her chocolate brown eyes onto Mickey’s. “Leave Ian alone. He’s happy with Matt. I’m tired of seeing him miserable, which he will be again, when you inevitably go back to jail”. His jaw drops open and he searches her expression in panic, seeing that she knows exactly what is going on. She stalks off back towards the rest of her family.

His stomach is an uncomfortable mix of jealousy and sadness now, and he shifts his gaze back to Ian’s dancing form uncertainly. It was clear his family didn’t think he was fucking good enough for Ian. Pride made him want to leave, or maybe break something, he didn’t fucking know, but he couldn’t. He was rooted to the spot.

He sees ‘Matt’ answer his blackberry a while later, whose expression changes and he leaves the backyard frowning, while talking animatedly into his phone. Ian turns to watch him leave, disappointed, and that’s when he sees Mickey sitting there, staring at him.

Mickey feels a pull of electricity rip through himself when Ian notices him and he stands up, now determined to head over to Ian. The current song ends and _Fade Into You_ by Mazzy Star starts, slowing the mood of the dance floor. Mickey glances towards Fiona’s direction but she is too busy wiping cake off of Liam’s dress shirt, and doesn’t see what is going on.

Ian is still frozen in place, and holds Mickey’s gaze directly while he walks over to him. Mickey stops abruptly in front the taller boy. “See you’re here with your boyfriend” he says, accusatorily.

“Mick, we haven’t been together in months. I’m not cheating on you with Matt” Ian shoves his hands into his pockets awkwardly. “Matt” Mickey practically spits the name, rubbing the tip of his nose with the back of his hand. They both stand in silence for a moment, and then Mickey says much more softly, “I didn’t say you were cheating on me”. Ian’s own guard lowers and he feels an internal struggle rising as he looks down at Mickey’s dark head and sad, jealous, blue eyes. Mickey and him always fit so well together.

 

Fiona looks up and sees the shorter Ukrainian boy standing directly in front of her tall redheaded brother. A serious exchange is obviously taking place between them. “Fucker” she curses lowly, and starts to stomp across the grass towards them but an arm reaches out firmly and stops her. It’s Lip. He shakes his head knowingly, “Let them talk. I’m telling you Fiona, there’s a lot more than meets the eye with those two. Ian deserves closure if that’s what he wants”. She sighs, desperately wanting to go and smack Mickey upside the head for directly ignoring her pointed order, but holds back.

 _Crash Into Me_ by Dave Matthews Band starts playing next, and the change in song brings Mickey’s attention back to the moment. He glances back and sees Fiona looking at him with her arms crossed, obviously pissed that he’s standing there with Ian after she told him not to. He’s been listening to Ian attempt to explain his relationship with Matt for the past couple minutes, and his anger has dissipated into a slow rising panic. Ian might actually be gone…and he knows he has to do something drastic to try and win him back before Matt returns from his phone call.

“Dance with me” he blurts out, blushing furiously, cursing his pale skin for displaying that so obviously. Ian finally shuts up about Matt and looks at him with eyes widened in surprise, “What? Mick…it’s gonna be obvious that you’re gay…you ready for that?” Mickey shakes his head vehemently, “No- but I’m not ready to fucking lose you to some blonde douchebag either”.

Ian has been reaching towards Mickey’s outstretched hands but now he hesitates, “Dancing with you doesn’t mean I’m breaking up with Matt. I’m with him now. You understand that, right?”. “Yeah well, whatever. Now you can’t say that I didn’t try”, Mickey closes the gap between them.

He stands firm, and starts to sway Ian, who is still in disbelief, slowly to the music. A few people around them, who know the Milkovich family well, are looking at them in utter surprise, but most of the guests don’t seem to care.

_“Who’s got their claws in you my friend, into your heart I’ll beat again”_

Mickey sighs shakily, wordlessly imploring Ian’s green eyes with his own blue ones. Silently he prays that it’s not too late.

_“Sweet like candy to my soul, sweet you rock, and sweet you roll. Lost for you, I’m so lost… for you”_

The rest of the Gallagher gang is now watching this display from a ways back with absolute interest. “ _Holy crap_ ” Lip whistles, pulling his cigarette from his mouth, “I thought he was just gonna like, punch Matt or something”. “He needs to back off” Fiona growls, feeling protective again. Here comes apart Ian’s relationship with a perfectly nice boy, unravelling because of Mickey Milkovich.

It’s Carl and Debbie’s turn to look at her with unimpressed expressions at her unreasonable anger, who have now also put two and two together. “What do you have against Mickey? He obviously loves Ian” Carl says, gesturing with his hand in their direction. “Look at them. Look at Ian’s face” Debbie adds.

Fiona watches the tender display of affection from Mickey towards her brother. They slow dance together, Mickey held closely by his taller ex-boyfriend. Ian’s eyes are closed and he looks completely content. She still feels conflicted but her expression slowly softens.

_“You come crash into me. And I come into you, and I come into you. In a boy’s dream…”_

Ian’s thoughts of Matt are quickly disappearing from his mind as Mickey leads their dance. It’s so unlike any other moment they’ve shared, that it almost doesn’t feel real.

He opens his eyes to make sure that it is again. He had been shocked enough just to see Mickey arrive cleaned up, and in a nice suit. And now here he is, back in Ian’s arms, in front of everyone. Ian admits to himself that he much prefers dancing with the smaller Mickey, rather than being enveloped by the much taller Matt’s long arms. An uncontrollable feeling of familiarity and love is rising up inside of him.

_“Touch your lips just so I know. In your eyes, love, it glows so. I'm bare boned and crazy for you”_

Mickey seems to take his lead from the song and slowly brushes a tattooed finger across Ian’s soft and trembling lips, without breaking his steady gaze. That’s the final straw for Ian, and he drops the farce from his mind that Matt actually could replace this. This feeling. This, Ian and Mickey.

Speaking of Matt, he must have returned a few moments ago but he now stands uncertainly watching Ian and Mickey slow dance, feeling as though he is intruding on something. He is.

The boys finally take notice of him, but their eyes quickly flicker back to each other. Mickey smiles, flips Matt off, and brings his lips to Ian’s for the first time in front of everyone.

_“For you, for me, come crash into me”._


End file.
